AT&T Responds to DOJ Lawsuit – Says “Enormous Benefits” are Clear

The saga that unfolded today between the US DOJ and AT&T continues to get interesting. Now we have a statement from Wayne Watts, AT&T senior executive VP and general counsel, about the lawsuit (via TechCrunch). They claim the DOJ blindsided them and they believe the “facts will guide the final decision” about the “enormous benefits” of the T-Mobile acquisition. Anybody else think their “facts” are a little biased by their opinion?

Check out the statement below:

We are surprised and disappointed by today’s action, particularly since we have met repeatedly with the Department of Justice and there was no indication from the DOJ that this action was being contemplated. We plan to ask for an expedited hearing so the enormous benefits of this merger can be fully reviewed. The DOJ has the burden of proving alleged anti-competitive affects and we intend to vigorously contest this matter in court.

At the end of the day, we believe facts will guide any final decision and the facts are clear. This merger will:

Help solve our nation’s spectrum exhaust situation and improve wireless service for millions.

Allow AT&T to expand 4G mobile broadband to another 55 million Americans, or 97% of the population.

Result in billions of additional investment and tens of thousands of jobs, at a time when our nation needs them most.

We remain confident that this merger is in the best interest of consumers and our country, and the facts will prevail in court.

Perhaps they forgot the phrase “to our profits” when mentioning the enormous benefits. I don’t see any way this benefits current T-Mobile subscribers and I highly doubt it will help AT&T subscribers either.

I have accts wth TMO and ATT. I pay way less with TMO. How will this benefit me and every other TMO customer that already pay less? I’m shutting down my att acct tomorrow since I’m getting my 9900 today. When will ATT get that BB? November? *insert sarcasm* oh yes I see how this will benefit the country.